Killington Resort’s new, independent owners plan to spend $22 million on improvements next year, including construction of a new chairlift. Projects will include the fixed grip quad replacing the Snowdon triple, a lodge expansion, $2 million in snowmaking improvements and $2 million for new snowcats. The news comes at the end of a $38 million summer with Killington replacing the Superstar Express, installing new cabins on the SkyeshipGondola and rebuilding Skyeship’s cabin parking facility this offseason. By this time next year, The Beast’s new owners will have invested $60 million since purchasing Killington and Pico from Powdr in 2024.
The $6.5 million Snowdon Quad will load in a slightly different spot but follow roughly the same line as the outgoing triple, a Heron-Poma dating back to 1973. “The lift will feature fixed-grip chairs as opposed to detachable ones to help it stay operational during tougher weather events,” Killington noted. “This is part of a long-term strategy to maintain our network of fixed-grip lifts, ensuring reliable lift access to all areas of the mountain, even during inclement New England weather.” From the top of Snowdon, guests can access both the North Ridge Quad and Canyon Quad even if the nearby K-1 Gondola and Snowdon Six Express are closed. A manufacturer for the new lift was not announced though Doppelmayr built the new Superstar six pack this summer. Otherwise Killington operates an extensive fleet of Leitner-Poma equipment.
New Sigma Diamond cabins for the Skyeship Gondola awaiting installation.
Construction will begin in the spring and the Snowdon Quad is expected to open for the 2026-2027 ski season.
Caberfae, Michigan will build a Doppelmayr triple in 2027, servicing several new beginner trails on Green Mountain. The project follows construction of similar Doppelmayr triples on North Peak in 2016 and East Peak in 2022. This new lift will bridge a progression gap between the learning area and more difficult terrain on East Peak. “We are thrilled to begin this terrain expansion,” said mountain manager Pete Meyer. “Our skiers and riders will now have a dedicated, lift-served area to build confidence and skills before moving on to larger, more challenging slopes.”
Construction is already underway with planning, lift line clearing and grading completed in 2025, foundation and snowmaking installation planned for 2026 and steel erection following in 2027. The new terrain and Green Mountain Triple are expected to debut for the 2027-28 ski season.
“We’re always going to be upgrading lifts; we announced a new lift for next year and that’s critical. But I think we need to realize also as a company and as an industry that it can’t just be about lifts. It’s not the only thing that matters to people. And in our minds we think there’s technology that can make a big difference. How people use technology in the digital experience, how it makes it easier for them to rent skis, how it makes it easier for them to connect with their ski instructor, how it makes it easier for them to get food, how it makes it easier for them to get around a resort or overall book a vacation. I think these are all things that are critical that really speak to the entirety of the guest experience when they come to us. Those are things where we really have a unique advantage because we own and operate all our resorts. They’re all on a common platform. And it’s where you invest dollars that actually impact everyone’s experience with all of our resorts rather than a singular lift, which affects one resort for some people who use that lift. Now that said, we have to keep investing in lifts. When you look back historically, you’ve seen us spend a lot of money on lifts over the last four years. So that’s continuing. We’re still going to keep proposing lifts. But I think the differentiator is going to be in this other area which is not as capital intensive as trying to replace every lift on Vail Mountain or something like that. That’s where we’re putting our focus.”
BigRock, Maine introduces a new trail map painted by Rad Smith.
Part of the former Iron Mountain Ski Area near Kirkwood goes up for sale. A reader who’d like to remain anonymous sent along these recent photos of five abandoned lifts.
Rendering of the proposed Canyons Village gondola set for construction next year at Park City Mountain.
Vail Resorts today released its fiscal 2025 fourth quarter and full year earnings report, including updates on pass sales, cost cutting and capital improvements. Net income for the year ended July 31st rose 21 percent to $280 million compared with $231.1 million a year earlier. Resort Reported EBITDA landed at $844.1 million compared to $825.1 million for fiscal 2024, an increase of 2 percent. On the less bright side, pass product sales for next season declined 3 percent in units and rose just 1 percent in dollars through September 19th despite a 7 percent price increase. The Company provided an outlook for fiscal 2026, expecting net income attributable to Vail Resorts, Inc. to decline to between $201 million and $276 million and Resort Reported EBITDA to fall between $842 million and $898 million. In a subsequent release, Vail announced the departure of two longtime board members. Vail Resorts’ share price has fallen roughly 15 percent year to date and declined 2 percent after hours upon the earnings release.
“The results from this past season were below expectations and our season-to-date pass sales growth has been limited,” noted Rob Katz, Vail’s newly-returned CEO. “We recognize that we are not yet delivering on the full growth potential that we expect from this business, in particular on revenue growth, in both this past season and in our projected guidance for fiscal year 2026. However, we are confident that we are well positioned to return to higher growth in fiscal year 2027 and beyond.” Vail acknowledged an outsized focus on email for attracting guests and a drive toward season pass sales at the expense of lift ticket revenue. “Our approach to engaging with guests has not kept pace with shifting consumer behaviors and as a result, we have not been able to fully capitalize on our competitive advantages or adapted our execution appropriately to respond to shifting dynamics,” Katz said. “While email was for many years our most effective channel, its impact has declined significantly in recent years, and we’ve been slow to shift to new and emerging marketing channels. We also believe we need to shift more focus to marketing our lift ticket business, which has not received the same level of focus, creativity, and resources as pass penetration increased.” Commenting on recent pass sales, Katz noted the company is seeing lower renewal rates from less-tenured passholders and fewer new passholders. Renewal rates are better for people who’ve held a pass for many years. ” We continue to see long-term opportunity to further expand the reach of our pass program,” Katz said.
Vail is largely on track with its resource efficiency transformation plan announced a year ago. At the time, the company planned to achieve $100 million in annual cost savings by fiscal 2026 through scaled operations, global shared services and expanded workforce management. It achieved $37 million in savings for fiscal 2025 and plans $75 million in savings in fiscal 2026. Vail plans to exceed $100 million in efficiencies in fiscal year 2027.
The under construction Canyons Villageparking structure, set to be served by a new gondola in late 2026.
Vail traditionally announces new lift projects and key capital priorities for the following year in September. This go around Vail affirmed its commitment to build a new Canyons Village gondola in 2026, replacing the aging Cabriolet. Subject to approval, the 10 passenger gondola will include a mid-station to service the middle village and will also serve the new Canyons Village parking structure, set to open this winter. “This new gondola will provide an upgraded arrival experience to the resort and complement the Canyons Village Parking Garage, a new covered parking structure with over 1,800 spaces,” said Vail. Vail Resorts and the Canyons Village Management Association will split the cost of the village gondola, similar to the nearly complete Sunrise Gondola by Leitner-Poma.
Notably Park City plans to resubmit plans to replace Eagle and Silverlode, projects sidelined in 2022 over a process dispute. If approved, the six-seater Eagle and eight-seater Silverlode would be constructed in 2027. Vail sent the original Doppelmayr equipment for these lifts to Whistler Blackcomb in 2023 and 2024 so the project will need to be contracted anew.
Equipment for Park City’s Eagle and Silverlode replacements seen in 2022, before the project was blocked by local residents.
The only other capital projects Vail announced across its 42 resorts was a hotel renovation at Vail and additional functionality in the My Epic App. There certainly are other needs, however, and additional projects could be announced with Vail’s next earnings in December.
Ikon Pass signs three more mountains to the two day bonus tier: Grouse Mountain & SilverStar in BC and Ski Butternut in Massachusetts (full Ikon only, subject to blackout dates.)
A jury finds the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and a drop ride manufacturer liable for $205 million after a child’s death; the gondola-accessed park says “the size of the total jury verdict award puts the existence of Glenwood Caverns at serious risk.”
Amid removal rumors, I asked Hunter Mountain about D-Lift and the Highlands Poma. GM Trent Poole shared the following:
“We’re in the process of removing the D-Lift. Thanks to last year’s Epic Lift Upgrade – the new Broadway Express – our updated lift infrastructure provides faster, more efficient access than what D-Lift provided, and similar terrain can be accessed at Hunter North via the Northern Express. At this point, the lift is both redundant and outdated, and the time and resources needed to revive this lift are better focused where guests will see a positive impact to their experience on mountain, like our snowmaking upgrades.
The Highlands Poma is something our team has discussed as part of long-term planning. We’re always exploring ways to enhance the guest experience, and that lift remains part of the broader conversation. For now, our focus is on showcasing the significant upgrades we’ve already delivered—Broadway Express, Otis, and automated snowmaking additions—along with maximizing the terrain available on Hunter North, West, and East. It’s also worth noting that Hunter is the only ski resort in New York to feature three high-speed six-passenger lifts: Northern Express, Katskill Flyer, and Broadway Express. For now, we’re confident in the strength and efficiency of our current lift system.”
Powderhorn, Colorado will welcome a new lift for its 60th season, expanding detachable access to 100 percent of terrain in 2026. The new Wild West Express will replace the venerable West End double, which has served the western half of the resort since 1972. The new lift will cut ride time by more than half from 13-plus minutes to about six. Pending Forest Service approval, Wild West will follow a shorter alignment terminating 700 feet below the current top station.
Leitner-Poma of America, headquartered in nearby Grand Junction, will realize the project utilizing parts from the former Elk Camp lift at Snowmass. LPOA plans to overhaul both terminals, rebuild sheave assemblies, replace the electrical drive system and supply new grips. Leitner-Poma and Powderhorn completed a similar refurbishment to create Powderhorn’s other detachable, the Flat Top Flyer, in 2015. That project included used equipment from Marble Mountain in Newfoundland, Canada. Interestingly Poma constructed both Elk Camp and the Marble lift in 1995 and the two machines will reunite at Powderhorn 30 years later. “Powderhorn has a special place in my heart, both personally and professionally,” said Daren Cole, President and CEO of Leitner-Poma and former Powderhorn general manager. “Our teams are excited to work on our hometown mountain. Once the lift goes through our rigorous refurbishment process, it will feel like a brand-new installation. Powderhorn is an essential asset for this community, and we are honored to be a part of their future.”
Powderhorn is one of six regional mountains operated by Pacific Group Resorts and a new detachable is a big deal for the company which last built a lift eleven years ago. “This is a major step forward for Powderhorn,” noted Powderhorn General Manager Ryan Schramm. “Installing a high-speed lift on the west side of the resort will feel like opening new terrain,” he continued. “The old West End lift was long enough that most people only did a run or two before returning to the Flat Top Flyer. This upgrade marks the next chapter in our commitment to invest in the resort’s future and enhance the guest experience across the mountain.” Construction is expected to commence in summer 2026 with opening planned for the 2026-27 ski season.
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